Hi there! I know I haven't posted in forever- which I still no excuse and I want to get back into it! But here's something I wrote last year. I just wanted to post something to get the ball rolling.

MISSIONS VS MORALS

Captured

He woke up to the sound of her distant voice her calling him, begging him to wake up and come back to the land of the living. If the haze clogging his head hadn't started to fade. Shikamaru would have thought the noise was nothing more than an annoying ringing in his damaged ear.

Everything seemed so far away and surreal to him. He struggled to pick up the pieces of reality. "Shikamaru wake up! You've got to get up!" His eyes eventually locked on her once he came to. "Get up!" what had happened?

She was tied up. He was tied up.

"T-Temari?…" his head was pounding from something he could barely remember. He was out on mission?..no this team was out on a mission to find someone... then in an instant, it hit him as he felt the memories flood back.

Everything was going fine, they had almost captured their suspect until…the movement of Temari struggling to break the rope around her wrist distracted his train of thought. it Probably combined with chakra.

Temari and Kankuro were passing though Rain Country when they heard the explosion. And what's the saying, curiosity killed the cat.

His eyes went back and forth. He didn't see the rest of his team. Did they get captured with him? and they were just kept somewhere else? what if they hadn't gotten captured. even though those odds seemed highly unlikely.

That explosion kickback from Temari's wind sphere was more powerful then what Shikamaru could have anticipated.

" Well if it isn't too obvious genius we got captured.." retorted Temari. He tried to reposition himself. The ropes were starting to make his limbs go numb. A stabbing pain in his upper thigh cut him short of any movement.

"Argh! Dammit!"

"Don't! If you move anymore or deepen that wound you could bleed to death. You have to keep the blade there." That was easier said than done. He looked down towards his bleeding limb. where an equally impressive piece of metal the likely the size of a small arm, attached itself to.

Great, this was just what he needed. "That counter was more powerful than I thought, I miscalculated big time, I should have held back."

"Well, I was the one who told you to do it. so that no fault to you."

"yea but still, we should have come up with another plan."

"Well, there's no use in arguing about it now..." Shikamaru slowly drugged himself up towards a hunched sitting position. He swallowed down a ball of pain. "Are you alright?"

He asked, finally getting a good look at her. She was covered in cuts and bruises. Hopefully nothing worse than that. the place was dark so he couldn't get a good look at her. She was closer to the explosion then he was. He did his best to get to her in enough time.

"Your shoulder and arm. Are they okay?". Her right shoulder had to be dislocated from the position at which it hung from her shoulder blade. not to mention Her left arm was no doubt about it broken. The bone threatening to break through the skin at any moment.

It was all in all a terrible situation for the two Ambassadors to be in.

"I'll manage." She said but it was hard to believe. "Shikamaru they are going to attack the Leaf...and use you as a pawn to get weapons. I overheard two of them talking about it. I don't know why, but they are trying to start some real trouble between the great nations. We can't let that happen."

A feeling chilled him to the bone, he was frozen. Taking all the information in. However, his stillness was not taken too kindly by the sand princess who needed this genius to come up with a rather fast escape plan if they planned on surviving.

"Hello? say something, Nara!"

"I know- I'm thinking….dammit." He looked to his right and left. he could see nothing, but you could never be too safe in any situation."Where are they now?"

"I don't know, they walked away a few minutes ago. I don't know when they will be back. They were right outside this tent. I can't sense anyone close for now. The wind is so still here, it's hard for me to sense any movement."

"…got it. Ugh, there's no real light for me to use my shadows either. it's like they knew who they were dealing with... can this get any worse." Oh how it can, as if fate itself were trying to test the duo. a shape light cut thought the darkness like a knife. blinding the two jouin "Ah fuck."

The strong odor of musks and meat entered the dry tent before the man did.

"Hey Itsuki, they're up!" This ninja had spiked red hair that ran to the middle of his back. He had white cloth wrapped around two large forearms. He was a foul man, in booth looks and hygiene. "Itsuki, get in here!" Itsuki… that was the ninja who they were following.

"Why the rush Giichi? They aren't going anywhere." The man called Itsuki entered. he was by far more put together than his crazy red hair friend. He swiftly brought a chair in to sit on, a white hood covering most of the features on his face.

Itsuki one seen eye cast a long gaze over the two. as the duo froze waiting for what would come next.

"What is this?" Shikamaru asked the man who he, not so long ago had on the run. Itsuki paid him no mind. instead, his attention on more so on Temari who had somehow managed to loosen the bind on her ankles

"Looks like we got a mover. Why didn't you tie her arms tighter Giichi?"

"They're already broken. I didn't see the point."

"Don't be so naïve." Temari was dragged away by her feet. Giichi took both of Temari limbs and began to tie them behind her back. It was very painful. This pain was unbearable, but the sand princess would not let them know. She would grind her teeth and bite off her tongue before she would even let out a whimper. If that wasn't uncomfortable enough the men named Giichi was getting too close for comfort as he leaned in to smell Temari dirt-covered hair.

"Mmm, damn being in the Land of Assassins for so long. You forget what a real woman smells like..." He played with her hair, touched her skin. almost melting in her amora. He spared no hesitation to grab her waist, almost as if to hug her. Without thinking Temari head-butted him.

"Don't touch me!"

"Damn bitch!" Giichi grabbed his bleeding nose staggering away from her. It wasn't the hit that took him off guard. "I was only being nice!"

"Ha!" Itsuki laughed out. it startled both captives. " Don't be hurt, some women just can't be handled so easily my friend."

"Shut the hell up Itsuki!" Pissed Giichi made his way back towards Temari with both fists balled. The gesture quickly got Shikamaru seeing red.

"Hey back off!"

"Don't worry yourself Giichi just fooling around-"

"well, you're buddy going to have a problem with me if he doesn't back off!"

"A threat coming from a shadow user who can't use his shadows, hmm sounds like an empty threat to me."

"Giichi, Itsuki? What's going on?" Itsuki removed himself from his chair and Giichi quickly separated himself from Temari. A smaller man- compared to the size of his voice- pushed passed the two men.

"Nothing Yuuko. we were just checking on them for you" Itsuki didn't hide the slight irritation in his voice.

"You two go keep watch, I'll take it from here."

"No problem." Itsuki walked out with no hesitation. Giichi on the other hand still wore a grudge as he and Temari shared glaring looks.

"Why are you still here?"

"Uh…sorry, Yuuko. You sure you don't need me here as back up. I'm finding these two are trouble. Maybe we should separate them. I can take her off your hands. After all, we just need him."

"No need," he simply waved his head. "Go. I've got things from here."

"Right…"

"Sorry if my comrades caused you any problems. I was hoping they would have made your stay comfortable. oh, where are my manners, I'm Yuuko Yukoni. and by the looks of you, twos battered faces you want to know why in the hell you're here. That my friends is simple, you were picked for a business transaction with the Village Hidden in the Leaves"